A Woman's Touch (19 page)

Darla grinned. „That was quite a sight, wasn’t it? People will be talking about that for months. But you took a major risk when you pushed Kyle into the water. I’ve seen him explode on far less pretext.“

Rebecca arched her brow. „I know. But as I explained, Kyle has never really lost his temper with me.“

„That is astonishing, you know.“

Rebecca shook her head, aware of a trace of smugness deep down inside. „I think my coworkers like me because I have a reputation for being able to walk in and out of the dragon’s lair unscathed. I go where they fear to tread. And I get away with it.“

„Is that right? Tell me something, Becky. After you execute this big plan of yours, do you still expect to be walking around unscathed?“

Rebecca sighed regretfully. „No. To be blunt, I expect there will be hell to pay when Kyle finds out what I’m going to do with that land.“

„You don’t look as if you expect your relationship to survive the aftershocks,“ Darla observed.

Rebecca looked at her. „I don’t know what will happen,“ she admitted truthfully. „But I guess I’ll find out for certain just how deep Kyle’s feelings for me go.“

„And if his feelings aren’t as strong as you hope?“

„I won’t be any worse off than the two other women who’ve had the misfortune to own Harmony Valley,“ Rebecca said with a calm she was far from feeling. „At least, I’ll have had the satisfaction of knowing justice has been done.“

The cafe door opened and Glen Ballard strolled in. He nodded pleasantly to the handful of people sitting around drinking coffee and then made his way to where his wife sat with Rebecca.

„Didn’t you two cause enough gossip last night?“ he said with a grin as he hung his gray Stetson on a nearby hook and sat down next to Darla. „You’re really adding fuel to the fire by having lunch together today. Nobody can figure out what’s going on.“

„Keep ‘em guessing is our motto,“ Darla said, lifting her smiling face for a quick kiss. „Rebecca was just telling me she’s made a decision about what to do with Harmony Valley.“

Glen’s smile was still easy, but his gaze was suddenly that of a hawk sighting prey as he lounged back in the booth. „No kidding? When are you going to drop the warhead on Kyle and me?“

„Just as soon as I get the two of you together,“ Rebecca promised.

„Well, now, that shouldn’t take too long. I saw his car over at the motel. He’s looking for you right now. Won’t take him long to figure out you’re in here. I’d like to see the expression on his face when he recognizes my car out front.“

The cafe door opened with a sharp crack, and this time Rebecca didn’t need the murmur of interested voices to warn her who was striding into the restaurant.

Kyle came down the row of booths with his usual no-nonsense stride. He paid no attention to the waves of curiosity that filled the room.

„I’ve been looking for you,“ he said to Rebecca as he claimed the space beside her. ‘„Afternoon, Darla.“

„Good afternoon, Kyle. I don’t believe we’ve had a chance to chat much since my wedding. Not that we got to have much of a conversation then. You were too busy adding the special Stockbridge touch to the festivities. How are you these days?“ Darla smiled with a hint of mischief.

Kyle grunted. „I’m fine. Just fine.“

„Isn’t it fortunate neither you nor Glen caught a chill from your dunking last night?“

Rebecca glanced at both men, who were now eyeing each other over the short distance of the Formica-topped table. „It would take more than a drenching to bring either of these two down.“

Kyle ignored both women. „What are you doing here, Ballard?“

„I was about to order a burger and listen to Rebecca tell me the fate of Harmony Valley. You’ve got to admit I’ve got a vested interest.“

„You have about as much legitimate interest in that land as a snake has.“ Kyle broke off as the waitress approached. „Bring me a cup of coffee, Jan. And a burger.“

„Same for me, Jan,“ Glen said.

Jan nodded quickly, glanced with open curiosity at both women and then bolted for the kitchen, gum snapping loudly as usual.

„I suggest you both stop arguing over who has an interest in Harmony Valley,“ Rebecca said around a French fry.

„Because as of now you both do.“

Kyle and Glen switched glittering looks to her composed face.

„What the hell’s that supposed to mean?“ Kyle demanded.

„I’ve made my decision. I’m deeding the land over to both of you. Fifty-fifty. Joint ownership. You’ll have to figure out how to share it. I know neither of you will ever sell out to the other so you’re both stuck with it. I’m getting out of the picture.“

Darla choked on a bite of hamburger. She gulped coffee to clear her throat, her eyes tearing. There was dead silence in the restaurant as everyone strained to overhear.

Kyle and Glen both stared at Rebecca as if she’d gone insane.

„Are you out of your mind?“ Kyle finally said, his voice fierce.

„Becky, it would never work,“ Glen said swiftly. „Stockbridge and I couldn’t manage to split an apple pie, let alone that land. We’d tear out each other’s throats. It’s a nice gesture, but…“

„It’s not a gesture, nice or otherwise,“ Rebecca said bluntly. „I’m exacting a little justice here on behalf of myself, Alice Cork and her mother. Three women have suffered at the hands of Bal-lards and Stockbridges because of that land. Now it’s your turn. You two have a choice. You can tear each other to pieces, or you can figure out how to work together to do something creative with that beautiful valley.“

„There is a third alternative,“ Darla observed. „They could sell out to a stranger and let someone else have Harmony Valley.“

„Never,“
Glen rasped.

„Not a chance in hell,“ Kyle confirmed instantly.

„You see?“ Rebecca said to Darla. „There’s hope. They can agree on some things.“

„What a disaster,“ Glen said softly. „Leave it to a woman. She’s right, Stockbridge. Alice and her mother are going to get their revenge after all.“

Kyle turned on Rebecca, his face stark with the kind of rage he had never aimed at her before. „Outside,“ he said with a dangerous softness. „Now. I want to talk to you.“ He got to his feet and stood waiting for her.

Rebecca looked up into the green fury in his eyes, and a cold chill went through her. „My hamburger,“ she said weakly.

„Outside,“ he repeated in that deadly quiet tone.

Rebecca didn’t say another word. She was aware of Darla watching her anxiously, but she shook her head slightly when she sensed the other woman might try to intervene.

Rebecca slid out of the booth and walked down the row of fascinated spectators without looking either to the right or the left. She kept her chin high and her back straight, aware of Kyle following hard on her heels.

Now, at last, she thought she understood just why the Stockbridge temper inspired such awe. She should have known it would end this way. She had taken a gamble and lost.

When Rebecca reached the door she opened it and stepped outside. Kyle caught her arm and hauled her over to where the Porsche was parked.

„You sneaky, conniving, manipulating little witch,“ he said between his teeth. „I let you get away with murder on the job at Flaming Luck but no one,
no one
gets away with trying to play games with my life the way you’re trying to do. Do you hear me, Rebecca?“

„I hear you,“ she whispered. She looked past him, focusing on the mountains in the distance.

„Look at me when I’m talking to you, lady.“ He trapped her chin in his fingers and forced her to meet his furious eyes. His jaw was rigid with his anger. „That was one damned fool stunt you cooked up. You’d have your revenge, all right, if I let you go through with it. But if you think you’re going to get away with it, you’re crazy. I won’t let any woman run me around in circles like that.
Not even you.“

Her own temper flared. „Don’t say that as if I were ever someone special to you. We both know the truth.“ Her voice was tight in her throat. „The only reason you were ever interested in me was because of Harmony Valley. I’d hoped you were telling me the truth when you said your feelings for me were stronger than your obsession with that land, but I should have known better than to believe you.“

„Don’t you dare try to twist this around so that it comes out being a test of my feelings for you. I gave you your chance to test me. I told you to go ahead and sell to Ballard if you doubted me that much.“

„You knew all along I’d never do that,“ Rebecca said swiftly. „It was safe for you to offer me that option because you knew I’d never take it. Maybe I should have. It would have served you right. But that way Ballard would have gotten more than he deserved, and there would have been no justice for Alice Cork.“

„What right do you have to go out gunning for justice for Alice and her mother? You never even knew those two women,“ Kyle snarled.

„They were family.“

„You’d never even heard of them before you met me.“

„Then blame yourself for this whole situation. If you hadn’t gone out of your way to hunt me down and seduce me, I wouldn’t be handing you and Glen the problem of Harmony Valley.“

„Damn it, woman, you’re playing fast and loose with my life and my future, and I won’t let anyone do that.“

„You can’t stop me.“ She was amazed at the degree of courage required to stand here and confront him. Now she knew why so many quailed at the prospect of dealing with Kyle in this mood.

„Don’t challenge me, Becky.“ There was bleak warning in his eyes. „We both know you’ll lose. Don’t make me your enemy. Don’t do this to either of us.“

„There’s an option,“ she pointed out in a low voice.

„What option?“ he snapped. „Working with Ballard? That’s not an option. That’s a flat-out impossibility. If you knew a little more about local history, you’d realize that. There’s no way a Stockbridge can work with a Ballard. You seem to think this feud is some kind of long-standing joke. But it’s not, Rebecca. Men have died in the battle between Ballard’s family and mine.“

„And women have cried. But that’s all in the past. It’s time to end it.“

„You’re not going to be the one to do it,“ he roared. „Understand me? I warned you not to try to play peacemaker.

You’re mine. Your loyalty is to me, not Ballard. You admitted as much this morning when you said you couldn’t sell the land outright to him.“

„You can’t force me to choose sides. I’ve already made my decision and I’m sticking with it.“

„Even if it tears us apart?“

She looked at him helplessly. „We were never really together, Kyle. I had a few hopes and dreams, but I see now that they were based on illusion. You’ve just said you think I’m a sneaky, conniving, manipulative little witch. Not much chance you could ever fall in love with someone like that, is there?“

„Don’t put words in my mouth, damn it!“

„Not much chance you could ever fall in love with any woman, I guess,“ Rebecca went on sadly. „I should have realized that sooner. Go back into the shadows where you belong, Kyle. Stay there in the darkness until it eats you alive. Forty or fifty years from now when you look back on a lifetime spent alone, try to remember that there was one woman who tried to pull you out into the daylight. Remember that there was one woman who truly loved you. For a while. But you couldn’t love her in return.“

„I told you once I gave you everything I had to give a woman.“

She nodded. „And it wasn’t very much, was it?“

„Damn you, Rebecca.“ He reached for her, his fingers tightening around her arms. „What are you trying to do to me?“

„Nothing, Kyle,“ she said wearily. „I’m just taking myself out of the cross fire. You and Glen do whatever you want with that land. Have your showdown at high noon right out there on Main Street in front of Cully’s Tavern. I don’t care who wins. The important thing is that it’s now just between the two of you. The women of my family are no longer involved.“

She stepped around him and walked resolutely toward the motel. It was time to leave.

„You can’t walk away from me,“ Kyle yelled furiously. „I’m not through with you yet.“ But she didn’t turn around.

Kyle watched her go, his hands flexing into frustrated fists at his sides. „Damn you, Becky,“ he whispered. „You can’t walk away from me. I won’t let you.“

The door of the cafe swung open. Darla stood on the threshold. She glanced at the retreating figure of Rebecca and then she looked at Kyle. Her eyes no longer held mischief, but rather a deeply contemplative expression.

„My, my,“ she said quietly. „Looks like the new town marshal has just made the streets safe for peaceful folk once more. And now she’s going to ride off into the sunset in the best tradition of heroic western lawmen. Or should that be law-women? We’ll all stand around wondering who she was and where she’s headed next.“

„This isn’t a joke, Darla.“

„No,“ she agreed. „It’s not. But I think it just might be the end of a really dumb feud that’s gone on far too long and involved too many innocent bystanders. Glen is waiting for you inside. I’ve given him my opinion on the subject of what to do with that land. Now it’s up to you two.“

Kyle said nothing as she came down the steps. When she was right in front of him she looked up at him and smiled.

„You know something, Kyle? I forgot to thank you.“

„For what?“ he asked suspiciously.

„For letting me go so easily when I broke our engagement four years ago. Oh, I know you put up a token protest.

You had to, because there was a Ballard involved and therefore your ego took a bruising. And as a general principle Stockbridges never let go of anything without a serious argument. But even when you showed up at the wedding and created that awful scene, I still knew I was lucky.“

„Lucky to get away from me?“ He turned his head to watch Rebecca disappear behind a row of parked cars in the motel lot.